Papermakers' press fabrics are endless belts of fibrous material used for conveying a wet paper web, delivered by a wet-type papermaking machine, from a forming zone, through a pressing zone, to a drying zone. At the pressing zone there is usually provided rotating cylindrical squeeze rolls between which the freshly formed paper web is passed. As the web enters the nip of the rolls, water is squeezed from the paper and is accepted by the press fabric upon which the paper is conveyed through the nip.
Papermakers' press fabrics are well known. Such fabrics are typically formed from materials such as wool, nylon, and/or other synthetic polymeric materials and the like. With such fabrics, the paper web, after passing through the nip of the pressing rolls, usually still contains an appreciable amount of water, which adds substantially to manufacturing costs due to the high energy required to evaporate the water during the subsequent drying stage. Increasing and/or maintaining for a longer period of time the permeability and water removal capability of the press fabrics would thus be highly advantageous in that manufacturing costs would be reduced. Other objectives include smoother surface, free of needle tracks; increased sheet contact area; and uniformity of pressure distribution.